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(No Model.) 8 Sheets-Sheet 1.

E. NOBLE, Jr. & G. F. BRANHAM.

METAL BENDING APPARATUS.

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E. NOBLE, JI'.'& G. F. BRANHAM. METAL BBNDING APPARATUS.

No.v 345,444. 4 K Patented July 13, 1886.

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(No Model.) 8 Sheets--Sheet 3.

E. NOBLE, J'r. 8v G. F. BRANHAM. METAL BBNDING APPARATUS.

No. 345.444. Patented July 13, 1886.

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B. NOBLRJr. E Gr.11. BRANHAM. METAL BENDING` APPARATUS.

No. 345,444. l Y Patented July 13, 1886.

(No Model.) s sheets-sheer 5. E. NOBLE, J-r. 8: G. F. BRANHAM. METALBENDING APPARATUS.

y No. 345,444. lB44414444 Julyls, 1886.

2cd /5 Zare WITNESSES INVENTOHS Kwam? J/bZ@ J7. Q mud/afm, Byfwz'rttorneys 'WLE (No Model.) 8 Sheets-Sheet 6. E. NOBLE, J1. 85 G'. F.BRANHAM.

METAL BENDING APPARATUS.

N0.'345,444. Patented July 13%1886.

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(No Model.) 8 Sheets-Sheet 7.

E.- NOBLB, Jr. 8v G. F. BRANHAM. METAL BENDING APPARATUS.

No. 345,444. Patenteduly 413, 1886.

(No Model.) 8 Sheets-Sheet 8.

E. NOBLE, Jr. & G, F. BRANHAM.

METAL BBNDING APPARATUS.

No. 345,444. Patented July 13, 1886.

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WINESSES f INVENTOR Edu/ard .7l/062e JI: J6 Cue, Byt/zez'rttorneysGeorge lffala'b.

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NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDwAaD NOBLE, Ja., OE sr. LOUIS, MISSOURI, AND GEORGE E. ERANHAM, orINDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

NIETALIBENDlN APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 345,444, dated July13A, 1885.

Application filed April 20, 1886. Serial No. 199,498. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, EDWARD NOBLE J r., of the city of St. Louis, in theState of Missouri, and GEORGE F. BRANHAM, oflndianapolis, in the countyof Marion and State of lndiana, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Metal-'Bending Apparatus, of which the following is aspecification.,

Our invention relates to metal-bending apparatus especially adapted tothe formation from railway-rails of yokes for use in the constructionot' conduits for endless cables employed in propelling street-cars, andour object is to provide apparatus for this purpose which shallbe strongand durable, and efficient in operation.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan ortop view, with someparts in section, showing the mechanism in the position assumed upon thecompletion of a bending operation, or with the bending-arms closed,these arms being also represented in their open or retracted position bydotted lilies. Fig. 2 is a view, partly in plan and partly in section,with portions of the actuating mechanism omitted, showing thebending-arms as retracted. Fig. 3 isa view, partlyin side ele.- vationand partly in section, on the line 3 of Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 4 is an endelevation 3o showing detailsof the actuating gearing. Fig.

5 is a section on the line 5 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a transverse sectionof the head-block,0n the line 6 of Fig. 23. Fig. 7 is a -plan View ofthe frame or bed plate, and Fig. 8 a front elevation thereof. Figs. 9,10, and 11 are sections on thelines 9, 10, and 11, respectively, of Fig.7, the cords, pulleys, weights, and anti`friction rollers for thesliding plates against which the ends of the yoke bear being represented4.o by Fig. 11, with the greater portions of the sliding bearing-platesbroken away. Figs. 12, 13, and 14 are sections on the lines 12,13, and14, respectively, of Fig. 1, some parts being omitted. Fig. 15 is a planView of one ofthe bending-arms. Fig. 16 is a plan view showing anadjustable support for the base of the rail, this support engaging therail at the bend or knee of a bending-arm, and Fig. 17 is a section ontheline 17 of Fig. 16. Figs. 18 and 5o 19 are sections on the lines 18and 19, respectively, of Fig. 2, showing the preferred construction ofthe outer and inner sliding railengaging arms of the bendingarms. Fig.20 is a section on the line 20 of Fig. 2, showing the manner ofsustaining the sliding plates against the pressure of the yoke ends.Fig. 21 shows one of the yokes. Fig. 22 is a plan view of thehead-block. Fig. 23 is a section on the line 23 of Fig. 22, and Fig. 24shows on an enlarged scale, partly in plan and partlyin 6o section, thesectional former and means for spreading it.

The apparatus, as in this instance shown, is adapted to bend lengths ofthe ordinary T- rail into yokes, such as shown by Fig. 21, but e 5obviously sections of rails of other forms, and metallic bars ofdifferent shapes in cross-section may be bent into yokes by slightmodiiication of the apparatus. Astrong metallic baseframe'or bed-plate,A, is formed with a cross- 7o rib or fence,7 A, at its front end,against which abuts the front end of a longitudinally and centrallydivided former, A2, about which the rail is bent'. The twosimilarsections ofthe former rest upon a slightly-raised portion orseat, a, of the bed-plate, and are provided with lugs a a', which passthrough slots ed cz'of the bed-plate, and have head-plates a3 a?detachably secured to them, to hold the former down to its seat. Thelugs a. a do not fit tightly in 8o their slots in a direction crosswiseof the former, the slots being made of propersize to allow of desiredmovement of the former-sections toward and away from each other, for apurpose further on to be explained. Spread- 8 5 ing-wedges b b on anendwise-moving rod, B, serve to spread apart the formersections. Thesewedges work against the walls of inclined recesses b b and b2 b2 in theends of the former-sections next the fence and near their 9o Opposite orrounded ends. In order to separate the former-sections or allow them toclose together, proper movement is imparted to the spreading-wedges byan adjusting-screw, B', having swiveling connection with them andpassing through and working in a female screw provided in the fence, aswill readily be understoodby inspection of Fig. 24. A piece of rail, C,of the proper length to form a yoke, C', is bent about the former byareciprocating Ioo head-block, C2, havinga concave or curved recess, c,at its front end, the radius of curvature somewhat exceeding that of therear end of the former, and by a pair of vibrating bendingarms, C C,reciprocating with the head-block. The curved recess e is shouldered ate to constitute a seat for the base of the rail, as will become apparentfurther on. The head-block C2 is reci proeated in a suitable guideway,shown as formed by a slot, 0*, in the bed-plate, by means of aproperly-actuatedconnectingrod, B, which in this instance is thepistonrod of the piston B, moved back and forth in its cylinder B* bysteam or by water under pressure in well-known way. The accidentaldisplacement of the head-block by upward movement is prevented by meansof a headplate, b, detachably secured to the under side of thehead-block. The connecting-rod is jointed to the head-block by a pivot,b", passing through the rod and through the lugs B5 of the head-block.The head-block has shoulders bf b5 at the opposite sides of its lugs,and the bed-plate is provided with holes a" a, in which pins are placedbehind the shoulders of the head-block, when the head-block has beenadvanced, fora purpose further on to be explained. The head-block isshouldered, as shown, and its reduced bottom portion works in theguideway-slot C. A depression, C5, is provided in the bed-plate, toaccommodate the upper widened portion of the head block. Slidingrail-engaging blocks D D arc carried by the head-block in guidcway-slotstherein, and have curved recesses d, shouldered at d', correspondingwith the shouldered recess c c of the head-block. Instead of tworailengaging blocks, one only may be used, and when only one is employedit may obviously be arranged centrally in the head block, instead of atone side of its longitudinal ecnter, as now shown. Each of the blockshas a forwardly-projecting finger, D, provided with a stop-pin, (P,working in a slot, d, in the corresponding` upper portion, D, oftheheadblock. A bar, D3, secured to the front end of the head-block acrossthe slots di, arrests the forward movement of the blocks when theirstop-pins come against it. Rearward movement of the blocks is limited bythe stopshouldcr d, or it may be by the stop-pins. Rearward movement isallowed to the blocks to an extent sufficient to carry them slightlyback of the point at which their shouldered recesses would register withthe recess of the head-block, and in this way the blocks are relieved ofunnecessary strain during the bending operation, as the rail is notallowed tond its bearing against them during this operation.Reciprocating bearing-plates E E, against which the ends of the rail areforced during the formation ofa yoke, are supported at the inner side ofthe fence A at opposite sides of the former in guideways formed bygrooves e e of the bed-plate. As the pressure against thesebearing-plates is very great, they are provided with anti-frictionrollers e c', against which they bear, so that they may readily slideinward with the ends of the rail which are being forced toward theformer and constitute the arms of the yoke. rlhe two series of rollersare received in recesses in the fence and are mounted by their journalsin bearings in the bed-plate and in the supportingplates E E,detachablyfastened upon the fence. Cords or chains E2 E2, attached at their innerends to the outer ends of the bearing plates, pass over pulleys e e, andare provided with weights EE. rlhe pulleys are mounted inbearing-brackets c c of the bed-plate. It will be seen that the cordsand weights serve to rei tract the bearing-plates or move them outwardto the limit of their movement after they have been moved inward withthe yoke ends and then released by the removal of a completed yoke. Thebending-arms G C vibrate about a pivot bolt, f, by which they arestrongly jointed to the reciprocating headblock in its recess F. Thisrecess is spanned by the top plate, F', strongly attached at front andrear to the head-block, and the pivotbolt passes through and issupported at top by this plate. Excepting the slight difference in theirinner or pivot ends to adapt them to be secured one above the other, thebending-arms are precisely alike, and their attachments are in allrespects similar. As in this instance shown, the bending-arms arevibrated by mechanism such as next to be dcscribed. An engine, G,imparts motion by way of its crank-shaft and the gears G it to adriving-shaft, g. The driving-gear G2 has clutch-connection with thedriving-shaft, and the clutch g, by which this shaft is thrown into andout of connection with its gear, is controlled by a shifting-lever, H,forked to engage the clutch-collar and pivotally supported at h upon abracket attached to one of the bearings of the driving-shaft. Thesupporting frame or portion of the bed-plate to which these bearings andother parts of the actuating mechanism are attached is omitted,illustration and description of it not being required, as any suitablesupport may be provided for these parts. At its outer end theshifting-lever has connection by a link, 7i', with a shifter-bar, H',sliding cndwise in bearings hl h2, and acted upon bya cord, H2, andweight H, the cord passing over a pulley, h, and acting in obvious wayupon the sliding shifterbar. Suitable detent devices for theclutchshifting mechanism are provided, as follows: A detent-notch orforked lug, H", of the shifter-bar, and its engaging detent formed by alug on the upright H, serve to hold the shifter against the force of theweighted cord, with the clutch in position for connecting thedriving-shaft and driving-gear. A handle, h, enables an attendant topull the shifter-bar outward against the force ofthe weighted cord, tothrow the driving-shaft into action and to engage the shifter-bar withits detent. The

.their respective actuating-gears.

wide outer bearing, h2, admits of the necessary sidewise movement, ofthe shifter-bar in its movement toward and away from its detent.Bevel-gears I I, fast on the opposite ends of the drivingshaft,engagecorresponding gears, M, on shafts J J, rotating in suitable bearings andhaving pinions'jj fast on them. These pinions engage actuating-gears J Jfor rotating screw-rods J 2 J i, which are reci procated by alternatingthe direction of rotation of The screwrods pass through openings in thefront ends of the opposite sides of the bed-plate, and duringtheirreciprocations move in grooves J3 J3 at the opposite sides of thebed-plate, by which they are partially inclosed or housed. The hubs ofthe actuating-gears J J have their bearings in the solid portions of thebedplate at the front ends of the housing-grooves. Each of these gearshas a female screw in its hub, these screws being provided in headedsleeves j jf, fitted in the hubs and projecting therefrom at theirheaded ends, which have bearings inthe bed-plate, and abut'at their endsagainst annular shoulders jiji, formedA about the holes throughv whichthe screw-rods pass. Annular grooves in the gear-hubs and dividedretaining-rings j3 js, secured to the bed-plate and engaging thesegrooves, prevent outward movement of the gears. At their rear ends thescrew-rods have jointed connection with the bending-arms by way ofcarriages and links. Each ot' the carriages consist of top and bottomplates, K K, with two rollers, k k, mounted between them. The carriagesreciprocate in guideways at the opposite sides of the bed plate, theirrollers traveling between shoulders k la of the grooves J3 J3 and bars KK, secured in place in suitable way, as by screws. The screw-rods areconnected to the front ends of their respective carriages, and links K2K2 are pivoted at their opposite ends to the rear ends of the carriagesand outer ends of the bending-arms, respectively. The bending-arms areso formed as to give the desired shape to the yokes, and at the anglesor knees L L of these arms, where the greatest pressure upon the rail isrequired for abruptly bending it at the junctures ofthe arms of the yokewith the central curved portion thereof, ad-

justable supports L L are provided for the.

base or foot of the rail to prevent it from being twisted or otherwisemisshaped by the great strain to which it is subjected. These supportsL', as shown by Figs. 16 and 17, are formed by adjustable jaws L2 L2,fitted at their inner ends loosely enough to vibrate in sockets L' L3,secured to the bending-arms. At their outer or front ends the jaws arebent, projecting inwardly or toward each other, and bear upon the endsof side plates, M M, riveted to the bending-arm and sustained againstthrusting-strain by the shoulders m m. A groove or socket, in', toreceive the rail is provided at the knee of each bending-arm between theouter ends of its side plates, M. The head and web of the rail projectinto the socket, while the base is supported against the suitably-shapedouter surfaces of the bent ends of the jaws. The jaws are renderedadjustable, so that their bent ends may be brought against the web ot'the rail, to adapt them to most effectually support the base of the railby a lcver and eccentric, M, and a pin or link, M2, passing through thejaws, the bending-arm, and its plates, and pivotally connected at itsopposite ends to the eccentric and the under jaw. A bracket, m2, on theunderjaw receives the pivot-pin, which passes through the lower end ofthe link, and its upper end is pivoted directly to the eccentric, whichis forked to receive it. Brackets M3 M3, each provided with a curvedslot, m, engaged by a pin, m4, of the eccentric, serve to limit theforward movement of the eccentric-lever, and thus prevent it fromgetting into a position such as to be broken by coming in contact withthe fence. A roller, M5, at the point of the knee of t-he bending-arm,and mounted in the side plates, is borne upon the head of the rail inthe socket mi, and in this way friction against the rail is lessened tofacilitate the sliding movement of the rail when being bent. Thebed-plate is provided with curved recesses, N N, to admit of the propermovement of the under jaws of the rail-supports L', and is also formedwith curved tracks N N, for supporting-rollers a a of the bending-armsto travel upon. lThe bending-arms are provided with curved sliding armsO for holding the rail down to its place, and with lugs P for engagingstuds p on the reciprocating beari 11g-plates E, to force these platesinward with the rail ends, as will readily' be understood. The studs pmay obviously be provided with anti-friction rollers. Four sliding arms,O, are shown as provided two for each bending arm, one inside of and theother outside of the knee of the bending- These sliding arms are carriedin guides Q, two for each arm secured to the bendingarms, and maybe madeof plain bars of metal, which, by crossing above the rail, prevent itsupward movement, and t-he sliding arms,rep resented elsewhere than inFigs 18 and 19, are intended to be of this construction; but bypreference both the inner and the outer sliding arms are formed withrail-engaging sockets R, Figs. 18 and 19, instead of being plainsurfacedbars. rlhe ends of the outer sliding arms pass beneath guides S,attached to the fence, when the bending-arms are completing theirmovcment. Each bending-arm is provided with two slots, q-one inside andthe other outside of its k nee-in order that yokeretaining pins may beinserted in holes r in the bed-plate.

The operation of the apparatus is' as follows: The head-block andbending-arms being in their retracted positions, and the sections of theformer separated by their spreadingwedges, a properly heated piece ofrail is placed in position beneath the fingers of the ISO slidingrail-engaging blocks and in the recesses of these blocks, and thesliding arms are pushed forward in their guideways, so as to reachacross the rail and preferably engage it by their recesses or sockets.rlhe headblock is next setin motion and the screws actuated to move thebending-arms about their pivotal connection with the head-block. Therail is first acted upon bythe head-block to bend it at ils middle, thusforcing its ends upward until they strike against the bearingplates.Before the forcible action of the bend` ing arms at their knees upon therail, the jaws of the rail supports are brought into position by meansof the levers and eccentrics. At the completion of the advance movementof the bending-arms the shifter-bar is tripped or disengaged from itsdetent hy one ot' the screw-rods, a stud, T, in the cndof the rodstriking the shifter-bar. The cord and weight then slide the shifter-bar, unelutching the dri ving-shaft and its actuating-gear andstopping the working of the apparatus. At the completion of the advancemovement of the headblock pins are inserted in the holes a to guardagainst the possibility of rearward movement of the head-block duringthe time the bendingarms are exerting their greatest force upon therail. To guard against the movement of the bent rail or yoke backwardwiththe bendingarms when they are retracted, and to forcibly clear themfrom the recesses of the head-block, the rail-engaging blocks, thesliding arms, and the rail-supports,when these parts are retracted, yokeretaining pins are inserted through the slots q in the bending-armsbehind the yoke into the holes r in the bedplate. To retract thebending-arms, the engine is reversed, and the shifter-bar slid outwardby the attendant to start the screw-rods in motion, and the pins havingbeen removed from behind the head-block it is retracted by the actionofthe steam or the water under pressure upon the front face of thepiston by the rod ofwhich the head-block is reciproeated.

After retraction of the bending-arms and headblock, removal of theyoke-retaining pins,and actuating the spreading-wedges to allow theformer sections to close together to facilitate removal of the yoke, theyoke is removed, another hot piece of rail is placed in position, andthe above-described operations repeated.

XVe claim as of our own inventionM l. The combination of the dividedformer having the inclined recesses b' b2, and the wedges, and theirconnectin g-rod,substantiall y as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of the bed-plate, the divided former having theinclined recesses, and the lugs engaging slots in the bed-plate, theconnected spreading-wedges, and their adjusting-screw working throughthe felice of the bed-plate, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

3. The combination, substantially as set forth, of the bed-plate, thesectional adjustable former, the reciprocating head-block, and thevibrating bending-arms, for the purpose described.

4. The combination of the bed-plate having the pin-holes a" a, thereciprocating headblock having the shoulders b5 b", the former, and thebending-arms, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination of the reciprocating head-block and the slidingrail-engaging block or blocks carried bythe head-block, substantially asand for the purpose set forth.

6. The combination of the reciprocating head-block, the slidingrail-engaging blocks carried in gnideway-slots of the head-block, andhaving the forwardly-projecting fingers, and the stop-pins working inslots of the headblock, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. The combination of the bed-plate, the former, the reciprocating headblock, the bending-arms, and the reciprocating bearingplates,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

8. The combination of the bed-plate having the fence, the former aboutwhich the rail is bent, the rollers in recesses of the fence, thebearing-plates, and their guideways and rctracting devices,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

9. rlhe combination, substantially as set forth, of the bed-plate, thesectional adjust able former, the reciprocating head-block, thevibrating bending-arms reciprocati ng with the head-block, and themechanism for vibrating the bending-arms, for the purpose described.

10. The combination ot' the driving-shaft, the driving-gear havingclutch-connection therewith, the clutch-shifting mechanism, the detentdevices therefor, the bed-plate, the screwrods,the pivoted bending-armsvibrated by connection with the screw-rods, the actuating-gears of thescrew-rods, and gearing connecting these gears with the driving-shaft,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

l1. The combination of the bed-plate, the screw-rods, the bending-armsvibrated by connection with the screw-rods, the actuatinggears ofthescrew-rods by alternating the direction of rotation of which thescrew-rods are reciproeated, the driving-shaft, gearing connecting itwith the actuating-gears of the screw-rods, t-he driving-gear, theclutch connecting it with the driving-shaft, the clutchshifting-lever,and the sliding shifter-bar provided with detent devices and actuated byone of the screw-rods upon the completion of its movement, substantiallyas and for the purpose set forth.

12. The combination of the bed-plate, the screw-rods reciprocating ingrooves at the opposite sides of the bed-plate, the carriages to whichthe screw-rods are connected, the pivoted bending-arms, and the linksconnecting them with the carriages, substantially as and for the purposeset forth.

IIO

13. A bending arm constructed substantially as set forth, with the kneeand the slots at the opposite sides thereof, for the purpose described.

v14. The combination of a bending-arm having the knee and its adjustablesupports for the base of the rail, 'substantially as and for the purposeset forth.` y

15. The combination of a bendngarm, its adjustable upper and lower jawshaving the inwardly-bent outer ends, the link passing through the jaws,and the lever provided with the eccentric, to which and to the under jawthe link is pivotally connected, substantially as and for the purposeset forth.

16. The combination of a bending-arm, its upper and lower adjustablejaws having the inwardly-bent outer ends, `the link passing through thejaws and pivotally connected with the under jaw, the lever having theeccentric, to which the link is pivoted, the brackets having the curvedslots, and the pin of the eccentric engaging the slots, substantially asand for the purpose set forth.

17. The combination of a bending-arm, the z 5 side plates at its knee,and the roller for supporting the head of the rail, substantially as andfor the purpose set forth.

1S. The combination of the vibrating bending-arms having the lugs l?,and the recipro- 3o EDWARD NOBLE, JR. GEORGE F. BRANHAM.

Witnesses:

S. H. COBB, E. V. SPRINGER.

